Pope's Twitter Account to Shut Down When Benedict XVI Leaves Office

"It seems unimaginable that one could continue to use a communication tool so popular and powerful during the 'sede vacante' period," said Vatican Radio, without giving info on whether Benedict XVI's successor will use Twitter.

Pope Benedict has recently announced he will resign February 28, citing old age as the main reason. It's the first papal resignation in centuries; the last Pope to do so was Pope Gregory XII in 1415.

In some three months after he joined Twitter, Pope Benedict XVI amassed more than 1.5 million followers. The overall tweet count is very low, however — only 36 tweets have been posted.

The pope is likely to send one last tweet on Feb. 27 or 28, right before he retires, said Vatican Radio.

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